Machinery control device and management system

Abstract

Provided are a work machine management device and management system that are capable of enhancing the accuracy in determining whether there is an abnormality in an oil. In the present invention, a management server manages an oil used by a drive device for a hydraulic shovel. The management server has: an oil replacement sensing unit that acquires a measurement value, for the properties of an oil of interest, from an oil sensor mounted on the hydraulic shovel, and senses the replacement of the oil of interest on the basis of a change in the properties of the oil of interest; an oil-type-candidate selection unit that, on the basis of the properties measured by the oil sensor after replacement of the oil of interest has been sensed, selects a plurality of oil type candidates for the replaced oil of interest; an oil type acquisition unit that outputs an instruction that the type of the oil of interest can be selected from the plurality of oil type candidates, and receives a selection input for the type of the oil of interest so as to obtain the type of the oil of interest; and an oil abnormality determination unit that determines whether there is an abnormality in the oil of interest by comparing the properties measured by the oil sensor and a threshold corresponding to the type of the oil of interest.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a management device and a management system for a working machine.

Background Art

[0002] A drive device mounted on a working machine includes, for example, an engine, a circulation system that circulates engine oil used for lubricating and cooling the engine, a hydraulic pump driven by the engine, and a hydraulic actuator driven by hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a server computer that targets oil used in a drive device of a working machine (specifically, the above-described engine oil and hydraulic oil) and collects the properties of the oil measured by an oil sensor of the working machine. This server computer determines an abnormality of the oil by comparing the properties of the oil measured by the oil sensor with a predetermined threshold value.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Although it is preferable for the drive device of a working machine to use genuine oil (in other words, oil recommended by the manufacturer of the working machine), non-genuine oil (in other words, oil not recommended by the manufacturer of the working machine) may be used. As one method for determining the type of oil used in the drive device of a working machine, a method using the measurement result of an oil sensor can be considered. Specifically, the computer detects an oil change based on a change in the properties of the oil measured by the oil sensor. Then, based on the properties measured by the oil sensor after the oil change, the type of oil is determined.

[0006] However, with the method described above, even with oil that has just been changed, variations in properties may occur due to individual differences in oil and the influence of residual oil, which may reduce the accuracy of determining the type of oil. Therefore, the threshold for determining oil abnormalities may not be optimized, potentially reducing the accuracy of detecting oil abnormalities.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a machine management device and management system that can improve the accuracy of detecting abnormalities in oil. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, a representative example of the present invention is a management device for managing oil used in the drive system of a work machine, comprising: an oil change detection unit that acquires measured values ​​of the properties of the target oil from an oil sensor mounted on the work machine and detects the replacement of the target oil based on changes in the properties of the target oil; an oil type candidate selection unit that, after detecting the replacement of the target oil, selects a plurality of oil type candidates for the replaced target oil based on the properties measured by the oil sensor; an oil type acquisition unit that acquires the type of the target oil by outputting a command that allows the selection of the type of target oil from the plurality of oil type candidates and receiving an input for the selection of the type of target oil; and an oil abnormality determination unit that determines an abnormality in the target oil by comparing the properties measured by the oil sensor with a threshold corresponding to the type of target oil. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the accuracy of detecting abnormalities in oil can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management system in Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing the structure of a hydraulic excavator in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3]This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the drive system of a hydraulic excavator in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This flowchart illustrates the process of obtaining the type of oil by the management controller of the management server in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the detection of oil changes by the management controller of the management server in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows the screen of a monitor or a terminal screen for an operator in a hydraulic excavator according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This diagram illustrates the determination of oil abnormalities by the management controller of the management server in one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a hydraulic excavator is used as an example of the work machine.

[0012] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management system in this embodiment. Figure 2 is a side view showing the structure of the hydraulic excavator in this embodiment. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the drive system of the hydraulic excavator in this embodiment. In Figure 3, for convenience, only the configuration related to the drive of the boom cylinder is shown among the configurations related to the drive of multiple hydraulic actuators (in detail, multiple control valves, etc.), but the configurations related to the drive of other hydraulic actuators are the same.

[0013] The management system of this embodiment comprises a hydraulic excavator 1, a terminal 2 owned by a worker who performs maintenance on the hydraulic excavator 1, and a management server 3 owned by the manufacturer of the hydraulic excavator 1. The vehicle controller 4 mounted on the hydraulic excavator 1, the worker's terminal 2, and the management server 3 can communicate with each other via a communication network 5.

[0014] The hydraulic excavator 1 includes a lower traveling body 6 capable of traveling, an upper revolving body 7 provided rotatably above the lower traveling body 6, and a working device 8 connected to the upper revolving body 7. The lower traveling body 6 travels by the rotation of a traveling motor (not shown), and the upper revolving body 7 revolves by the rotation of a revolving motor (not shown).

[0015] The working device 8 includes a boom 9 rotatably connected to the upper revolving body 7, an arm 10 rotatably connected to the tip of the boom 9, and a bucket 11 rotatably connected to the tip of the arm 10. The boom 9 rotates by the extension and contraction of a boom cylinder 12, the arm 10 rotates by the extension and contraction of an arm cylinder 13, and the bucket 11 rotates by the extension and contraction of a bucket cylinder 14.

[0016] The drive device 15 of the hydraulic excavator 1 includes an engine 16, a circulation system 17 that circulates engine oil used for lubricating and cooling the engine 16, a hydraulic pump 18 driven by the engine 16, a plurality of hydraulic actuators (specifically, the above-described traveling motor, revolving motor, boom cylinder 12, arm cylinder 13, and bucket cylinder 14) driven by the hydraulic oil discharged from the hydraulic pump 18, a plurality of control valves 19 that respectively control the flow of pressure oil from the hydraulic pump 18 to the plurality of hydraulic actuators, and a plurality of operating devices (not shown) for operating the plurality of control valves 19.

[0017] In the present embodiment, the oil sensor 20A is provided, for example, in the oil passage between the boom cylinder 12 and the control valve 19, and measures the properties of the hydraulic oil (specifically, for example, viscosity, density, dielectric constant, chromaticity, and particle concentration, etc.). The oil sensor 20B is provided in the circulation system 17 and measures the properties of the engine oil.

[0018] Although not shown, the vehicle body controller 4 of the hydraulic excavator 1 has a processor that executes processing according to a program, a memory that stores programs and data, and the like. The vehicle body controller 4 temporarily stores in the memory the properties of the hydraulic oil measured by the oil sensor 20A and the properties of the engine oil measured by the oil sensor 20B, and transmits them to the management server 3 at a predetermined cycle.

[0019] The monitor 21 of the hydraulic excavator 1 is arranged in the cab of the hydraulic excavator 1 and is connected to the vehicle body controller 4 via wiring. Although not shown, the monitor 21 has a processor that executes processing according to a program, a memory that stores programs and data, an interface that enables input and display, and the like.

[0020] Although not shown, the terminal 2 for the operator has a processor that executes processing according to a program, a memory that stores programs and data, an interface that enables input and display, and the like.

[0021] The management server 3 of the present embodiment targets the oil used in the drive device 15 of the hydraulic excavator 1 (specifically, the above-mentioned hydraulic oil and engine oil), and has a function of collecting the properties of the oil measured by the oil sensors 20A and 20B of the hydraulic excavator 1, and corresponds to the management device described in the claims. Hereinafter, the oil to be measured by the oil sensor 20A or 20B (that is, the oil to be managed) may be referred to as the target oil. In the present embodiment, the hydraulic oil or the engine oil is the target oil.

[0022] The management server 3 includes a management controller 22 and a storage device 23. Although not shown, the management controller 22 has a processor that executes processing according to a program, a memory that stores programs and data, and the like. The memory of the management controller 22 temporarily stores the time-series data of the properties of the target oil acquired from the vehicle body controller 4 and the like. The processor of the management controller 22 processes the data stored in the memory and stores the data created by the processing in the storage device 23.

[0023] The storage device 23 is, for example, a hard disk for building a database, and stores data of the hydraulic excavator 1 acquired from the vehicle controller 4, data acquired from worker terminals 2, etc., data created by the management controller 22, and data of multiple types of oil acquired in advance (specifically, initial properties of each type of oil, and property thresholds set in advance for abnormality detection for each type of oil).

[0024] The management controller 22 has a functional configuration that includes an oil change detection unit 24, an oil type candidate selection unit 25, an oil type acquisition unit 26, and an oil abnormality determination unit 27. The processing contents of this management controller 22 will be explained below. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing related to the acquisition of the target oil type among the processing of the management controller 22 in this embodiment.

[0025] The oil change detection unit 24 of the management controller 22 detects the change of the target oil using time-series data of the target oil acquired from the vehicle body controller 4 (step S1 in Figure 4).

[0026] Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the amount of change (A) in the properties of the target oil (although density is used as an example in Figure 5, other properties may also be used) n -A n-1 If the value exceeds a predetermined value (specifically, a value set in advance considering the deterioration of the target oil and the measurement error of the oil sensor), time T n-1 From time T n The system determines that the oil change is due during this period (i.e., the oil was changed during this time). Then, it creates an oil change history for hydraulic excavator 1 (for example, the date the oil was changed) and stores it in the storage device 23.

[0027] The oil type candidate selection unit 25 of the management controller 22 extracts the properties of the target oil immediately after replacement (An in Figure 5) from the time-series data of the properties of the target oil acquired from the vehicle body controller 4. Then, based on the properties of the target oil immediately after replacement and the data of multiple types of oil stored in the storage device 23, it selects multiple oil type candidates (step S2 in Figure 4). Specifically, it selects multiple first oil type candidates whose properties fall within a preset first range (e.g., 80% to 120%) for the properties of the target oil immediately after replacement. In addition, it selects at least one second oil type candidate whose properties fall outside the first range but within a preset second range (e.g., 70% to 130%) which is greater than the first range for the properties of the target oil immediately after replacement.

[0028] The oil type acquisition unit 26 of the management controller 22 outputs a command to the monitor 21 via the body controller 4 of the hydraulic excavator 1, or to the worker's terminal 2, which allows the user to select the type of target oil from the above-mentioned multiple oil type candidates (step S3 in Figure 4).

[0029] The monitor 21 or terminal 2 displays multiple oil type candidates in response to the aforementioned command. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the first stage screen 28A displays multiple first oil type candidates, "Brand A," "Brand B," "Brand C," and "Brand D," along with "Other Brands" and "Oil Not Changed," which can be selected. "Brand A," "Brand B," "Brand C," and "Brand D" may be displayed in order of properties that are closest to the properties of the target oil immediately after change, for example. If the operator of the hydraulic excavator 1 operates the monitor 21, or a worker operates the terminal 2, and "Other Brands" is selected on screen 28A, the system moves to the second stage screen 28B, where the second oil type candidates, "Brand E" and "Brand F," are displayed along with "Other Brands," which can be selected. "Brand E" and "Brand F" may be displayed in order of properties that are closest to the properties of the target oil immediately after change, for example. If "Other Brands" is selected on screen 28B, a new brand can be entered.

[0030] If the monitor 21 or terminal 2 selects one of the following oil types as the target oil type, it outputs the target oil type to the management controller 22 of the management server 3. As a result, the oil type acquisition unit 26 of the management controller 22 acquires the target oil type and stores it in the storage device 23 while associating it with the target oil replacement history.

[0031] In this case, the oil abnormality determination unit 27 of the management controller 22 reads and sets a threshold value for the properties of the target oil according to the type of oil in question from the storage device 23 (step S5 in Figure 4). Then, it determines an abnormality in the target oil by comparing the time-series data of the properties of the target oil obtained from the body controller 4 of the hydraulic excavator 1 with the threshold value.

[0032] To explain in more detail, the oil abnormality determination unit 27 of the management controller 22 reads and sets the corresponding upper threshold SAh and lower threshold SAl for viscosity, the upper threshold SBh for density, and the upper threshold SCh for dielectric constant from the storage device 23, if the target oil is brand A. Then, as shown in Figure 7, it determines that there is an abnormality if the viscosity of the target oil exceeds the upper threshold SAh. Alternatively, it determines that there is an abnormality if the viscosity of the target oil falls below the lower threshold SAl. Furthermore, it determines that there is an abnormality if the density of the target oil exceeds the upper threshold SBh. Also, as shown in Figure 7, it determines that there is an abnormality if the dielectric constant of the target oil exceeds the upper threshold SCh.

[0033] If a new brand name is entered as the target oil type, monitor 21 or terminal 2 outputs the target oil type to management server 3. As a result, the oil type acquisition unit 26 of management controller 22 acquires the target oil type and stores it in storage device 23 while associating it with the target oil replacement history.

[0034] In this case, the oil abnormality determination unit 27 of the management controller 22 selects a substitute oil type with properties closest to those of the target oil immediately after replacement, and reads and sets a threshold for properties corresponding to the substitute oil type from the storage device 23 (step S5 in Figure 4). Then, it determines an abnormality in the target oil by comparing the time-series data of the target oil properties obtained from the body controller 4 of the hydraulic excavator 1 with the threshold.

[0035] If "Oil has not been changed" is selected, monitor 21 or terminal 2 outputs this information to management server 3. As a result, management controller 22 of management server 3 corrects the oil change history of the target oil stored in storage device 23 without acquiring the type of oil in question. Also, management controller 22 of management server 3 determines that there is an oil change detection anomaly based on the information mentioned above and outputs a notification to terminal 2 (step S6 in Figure 4). This prompts the worker to investigate the cause of the oil change detection anomaly.

[0036] As described above, in this embodiment, the oil type candidate selection unit 25 of the management controller 22 selects a plurality of oil type candidates for the replaced target oil based on the properties measured by the oil sensor after detecting the replacement of the target oil. The oil type acquisition unit 26 of the management controller 22 acquires the type of target oil by outputting a command that allows the selection of the type of target oil from the plurality of oil type candidates and accepting the input for the selection of the type of target oil. The oil abnormality determination unit 27 of the management controller 22 determines an abnormality in the target oil by comparing the properties measured by the oil sensor with a threshold corresponding to the type of target oil. Therefore, the threshold for determining an abnormality in the oil can be optimized, and the accuracy of determining an abnormality in the oil can be improved.

[0037] Although not specifically described in the above embodiment, the hydraulic excavator 1 may be equipped with a temperature sensor (not shown) for measuring the temperature of the target oil. The body controller 4 of the hydraulic excavator 1 may temporarily store the temperature of the target oil measured by the temperature sensor in memory and transmit it to the management server 3 at a predetermined interval. The management controller 22 of the management server 3 may correct the properties of the target oil according to the temperature of the target oil. That is, it may calculate the properties of the target oil corresponding to the reference temperature of the target oil.

[0038] Furthermore, although not specifically described in the above embodiment, the management controller 22 of the management server 3 may construct a function to correct the measured value of the oil sensor based on the difference between the properties measured by the oil sensor and the properties stored in the storage device 23, and use this function to correct the measured value of the oil sensor.

[0039] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the oil type candidate selection unit 25 of the management controller 22 was described as selecting at least one second oil type candidate having properties that are outside the first range and within a preset second range that is larger than the first range, with respect to the properties of the target oil immediately after replacement. However, the description is not limited to this. The oil type candidate selection unit 25 of the management controller 22 may, for example, select at least one second oil type candidate that is different from the multiple first oil type candidates but has a usage history. In this case, the monitor 21 or terminal 2 may display the second oil type candidates, for example, in order of proximity of usage or in order of the number of uses.

[0040] Furthermore, although the above embodiment was described using the example where the management controller 22 of the management server 3 has an oil change detection unit 24, an oil type candidate selection unit 25, and an oil type acquisition unit 26, it is not limited to this. For example, the body controller 4 of the hydraulic excavator 1 may have an oil change detection unit 24, and the management controller 22 of the management server 3 may have an oil type candidate selection unit 25 and an oil type acquisition unit 26. Alternatively, for example, the body controller 4 of the hydraulic excavator 1 may have an oil change detection unit 24, an oil type candidate selection unit 25, and an oil type acquisition unit 26.

[0041] In the above explanation, the example of a hydraulic excavator was used, but it is not limited to this; for example, it could be a dump truck, wheel loader, bulldozer, forklift, or crane. Also, in the explanation, the example of using both hydraulic oil and engine oil in the drive system of the work machine was used, but it is not limited to this; it could be just one of them, or another type of oil. In other words, the oil to be managed (target oil) can be various types of oil. In that case, various information can be obtained from the work machine equipped with an oil sensor capable of measuring the properties of the target oil. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1. Hydraulic excavator (working machine) 2 terminals 3. Management Server (Management Device) 15 Drive unit 20A, 20B Oil Sensor 21 monitors 24 Oil change detection unit 25 Oil type candidate selection department 26 Oil type acquisition department 27 Oil abnormality determination section

Claims

1. In a control device for managing the oil used in the drive system of a working machine, An oil change detection unit obtains measured values ​​of the properties of the target oil from an oil sensor mounted on the aforementioned work machine, and detects the need to change the target oil based on changes in the properties of the target oil. An oil type candidate selection unit that, after detecting the replacement of the target oil, selects a plurality of oil type candidates for the replaced target oil based on the properties measured by the oil sensor, An oil type acquisition unit that obtains the type of target oil by outputting a command that allows the selection of the type of target oil from the aforementioned plurality of oil type candidates and by receiving input for the selection of the type of target oil, A control device for a work machine, characterized by having an oil abnormality determination unit that determines an abnormality in the target oil by comparing the properties measured by the oil sensor with a threshold value corresponding to the type of target oil.

2. In the control device for the work machine described in claim 1, The aforementioned oil type candidate selection unit, After the replacement of the target oil, a plurality of first oil type candidates having properties within a predetermined first range are selected based on the properties measured by the oil sensor. After the replacement of the target oil, at least one candidate second oil type is selected that has properties outside the first range and within a preset second range that is larger than the first range, based on the properties measured by the oil sensor. The aforementioned oil type acquisition unit is, A machine operator's control device characterized in that, as a first step, it displays a plurality of first oil type candidates and allows the user to select the type of target oil from the plurality of first oil type candidates, and as a second step, it displays at least one second oil type candidate and outputs a command that allows the user to select the type of target oil from the at least one second oil type candidate.

3. In the control device for the work machine described in claim 1, The aforementioned oil type candidate selection unit, After the replacement of the target oil, a plurality of first oil type candidates having properties within a predetermined range are selected based on the properties measured by the oil sensor. Select at least one second oil type candidate that is different from the aforementioned multiple first oil type candidates but has a history of use. The aforementioned oil type acquisition unit is, A machine operator's control device characterized in that, as a first step, it displays a plurality of first oil type candidates and allows the user to select the type of target oil from the plurality of first oil type candidates, and as a second step, it displays at least one second oil type candidate and outputs a command that allows the user to select the type of target oil from the at least one second oil type candidate.

4. In the control device for the work machine described in claim 1, The oil abnormality detection unit is, If the type of target oil obtained by the oil type acquisition unit is different from the multiple candidate oil types, an alternative oil type having properties closest to those measured by the oil sensor after the target oil has been replaced is selected. A control device for work machinery, characterized by determining an abnormality in the target oil by comparing the properties measured by the oil sensor with a threshold corresponding to the alternative oil type.

5. A work machine equipped with a drive unit and an oil sensor for measuring the properties of the oil used in the drive unit, A management system comprising a control device capable of communicating with the aforementioned work machine and for managing the oil used in the drive device, The aforementioned control device is An oil change detection unit obtains measured values ​​of the properties of the target oil from an oil sensor mounted on the aforementioned work machine, and detects the need to change the target oil based on changes in the properties of the target oil. An oil type candidate selection unit that, after detecting the replacement of the target oil, selects a plurality of oil type candidates for the replaced target oil based on the properties measured by the oil sensor, An oil type acquisition unit that obtains the type of target oil by outputting a command that allows the selection of the type of target oil from the aforementioned plurality of oil type candidates and by receiving input for the selection of the type of target oil, A management system for a work machine, characterized by having an oil abnormality determination unit that determines an abnormality in the target oil by comparing the properties measured by the oil sensor with a threshold value corresponding to the type of target oil.

6. In the management system for a work machine according to claim 5, The aforementioned work machine is equipped with a monitor, A management system for a work machine, characterized in that the oil type acquisition unit of the management device outputs the command to the monitor of the work machine.

7. In the management system for a work machine according to claim 5, The worker performing maintenance on the aforementioned work machine possesses a terminal that can communicate with the aforementioned management device, A management system for a work machine, characterized in that the oil type acquisition unit of the management device outputs the command to the terminal.

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